Korra’s 15 Most Impressive Displays Of Powers In The Legend Of Korra

Summary

• Book 4 showcases Korra’s epic showdown with Kuvira’s colossus, highlighting her incredible bending skills and confidence.
• Korra’s selfless use of the Avatar State to restore bending in Book 1 and her impressive resilience when fighting Zaheer are standout moments.
• Throughout the series, Korra faces powerful foes like Kuvira and Unavaatu, showcasing her strength and determination.

Across The Legend of Korra‘s four books, Avatar Korra continually proves that she’s a masterful bender and an adept fighter — but several moments stand out among all others as her most impressive displays of power. Created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, The Legend of Korra is a sequel to the duo’s Avatar: The Last Airbender. Set decades after the events of ATLA, the series follows Aang’s predecessor: the immensely talented Korra. Although she easily masters three of the four elements, Korra struggles to airbend, prompting her to move to Republic City and train under Aang’s son, Tenzin.

Unlike Avatar: The Last Airbender, each of The Legend of Korra‘s four seasons are relatively self-contained, standalone narratives. Each book has its own antagonist — and its own themes. Although the approach is rather different from ATLA‘s epic storyline, each installment provides Korra with plenty of moments to shine. While Book One: Air sees the young Avatar facing off with the anti-bending Equalist leader Amon, Book Two: Spirits centers on the origins of every Avatar. As the series continues, the stakes get higher and higher, leading to some of Korra’s most impressive bending feats.

15 Korra Fights Kuvira’s Colossus In Book 4

In Book Four: Balance, Kuvira, Suyin Beifong’s adopted daughter of sorts, becomes bent on uniting the fractured Earth Kingdom. With power vacuums cropping up throughout the nation, Kuvira’s army implements order through sheer force. While Korra and the rest of Team Avatar face off against Kuvira’s mechs throughout the fourth season, the final battle centers on their fight against Kuvira’s unbendable platinum-coated colossus. Most of the team members have stand-out moments, but Korra’s bending is on a whole different level, especially when she bends the entire contents of a river at Kuvira’s city-destroying colossus.

14 Korra Taps Into The Avatar State To Restore Bending In The Book 1 Finale

After seemingly losing her bending to Amon in the Book One finale, a heartbroken Korra rides Naga out into the snow-laden wilds of the Southern Water Tribe’s land. While at her lowest point, Korra gets in touch with Avatar Aang, who appears to her in spirit form. In a heartening twist, Aang restores Korra’s bending and teaches her how to do the same for others, including Lin Beifong. Given that Aang (and the other former Avatars) exist within Korra, she technically unlocks the ability herself. With Aang’s encouragement, Korra learns one of her best powers.

13 Korra Saves The Fire Ferrets In The Probending Arena In Book 1

The probending moments in The Legend of Korra are some of the series most exciting. At first, Korra abuses her Avatar abilities, bending multiple elements and taking cheap shots at her opponents. However, she eventually becomes a clutch member of the Future Industries Fire Ferrets, helping Mako and Bolin advance through near-impossible matches. After learning a thing or two from Tenzin and the airbenders, Korra puts her fancy footwork to good use in the arena, making for a powerful display — even if its not a traditional fight sequence.

12 Korra Parts The Northern Water Tribe Blockade In Book 2

Book Two: Spirits ends up being a real family affair for Korra. The Avatar’s charming-yet-sinister uncle, Unalaq, who’s the chief of the Northern Water Tribe, has a long-standing feud with his brother — a.k.a. Korra’s father, Tonraq. Dead-set on seizing power in the south, Unalaq’s bitter rivalry with his brother comes to a head early on in the sophomore season, leading to Tonraq’s capture. Realizing her uncle is up to no good, Korra tries to save her father and, in doing so, bends the seas, causing the Northern Water Tribe’s blockade to crumble.

11 Korra Spiritbends With Ease In Book 2

In a surprise to no one (besides Korra), Unalaq is using his niece’s status as the Avatar for his own selfish gains. However, before Unalaq reveals his true intentions to Korra, he teaches her how to use spiritbending — a higher form of waterbending that allows the most adept among them to manipulate the energies that exist within spirits. With both spiritbending and energybending under her belt, Korra performs some impressive feats, from saving Jinora from the Republic City spirit vines to taking down Unavaatu.

10 Korra vs. Kuvira In Book 4’s Battle Of Zaofu

In Book Four: Balance, Korra fights Kuvira several times — and all of them are memorable duels. When they first meet outside Zaofou, the formidable benders display their different approaches to fighting: while Kuvira is precise and incisive, Korra is explosive and eager to put her brawn first. While the two benders are pretty evenly matched, Korra seems to get the advantage — until she sees herself in Kuvira. Still grappling with her post-traumatic stress from nearly dying at Zaheer’s hands in Book Three, Korra hasn’t quite returned to herself. Even so, it’s one of the series’ best battles.

9 As A Child, Korra Bends Three Of The Four Elements

When Tonraq and Senna realize their daughter might just be the next Avatar, the signs are pretty unmistakable. While past Avatars, including Aang, gravitate toward possessions that belonged to their past lives, Korra can bend three of the four elements right from the start, impressing even Avatar‘s White Lotus members. Given that most Avatars are adept in their own nation’s element but struggle to learn the other bending disciplines, Korra’s display of multi-bending powers as a young child is pretty amazing.

8 Korra vs. Tarrlok In Book 1

One of the best fights in The Legend of Korra happens toward the end of the season. Despite his reputation, Tarrlok reveals himself to be a not-so-upstanding politician. When he and Korra get into a fight at his Republic City office, the resulting clash is incredibly memorable. While Tarrlok and Korra seem like evenly matched waterbenders, the Avatar gains the upper-hand thanks to her other bending abilities. Eventually, Tarrlok reveals himself to be a bloodbender; even though Korra doesn’t win the fight, the Republic City newcomer proves why she’s the Avatar.

7 Korra vs. Kuvira In The Finale

Once Team Avatar is able to penetrate Kuvira’s platinum-coated colossus, the gang splits up to take down the season’s big bad. This leads to a Korra vs. Kuvira rematch in the control room of the colossus. While Korra relies on all of her bending disciplines in the final showdown, she leans heavily on metalbending, meeting each of Kuvira’s attacks with equal finesse. Most impressively, Korra doesn’t even seem to break a sweat. After a challenging season, the Avatar’s confidence is unmatched, and it translates to her fighting abilities.

6 Korra Airbends At Amon In Book 1

In the finale of Book One, Korra and Mako take the fight to Amon and his Equalist followers. After calling out Amon for actually being a waterbender who uses his bloodbending knowledge to seemingly take away people’s bending, Korra and Mako chase the season-one antagonist down. The unsettling face-off allows Korra to showcase some of her most impressive bending abilities, but she also “loses” her bending to Amon. When all hope seems lost — and without another element to fall back on — Korra finally airbends successfully in a truly shocking, unforgettable moment.

5 Korra Teams Up With Tonraq In Book 3

In the two-part finale of Book Three, Korra seemingly hands herself over to Zaheer, Legend of Korra‘s best villain (and most unsettling). Of course, the Avatar has plenty of backup waiting in the wings, including her father, Tonraq. The first half of the Korra versus Zaheer fight is memorable for several reasons. For starters, Korra and Tonraq’s father-daughter fighting team is unmatched. Secondly, Korra fights with her limbs chained, but still manages to pull off truly wild aerial stunts and game-changing bending moves.

4 Korra Metalbends Poison Out Of Her Body

When Zaheer finally captures Korra, he poisons her, hoping to force the show’s protagonist into the Avatar state. A natural defense, the Avatar state also opens Korra up to untold vulnerability: if she dies in the Avatar state, the cycle will seemingly be broken, which is Zaheer’s goal. Later, her post-traumatic stress lingers, as does its physical manifestation: the metallic poison. After meeting with Toph, Korra finds the strength to confront her most harrowing experience and heal herself. Although not a physical show of strength, Korra metalbending the poison out of her body is a real display of character.

3 Korra vs. Unavaatu In The Book 2 Finale

Although Book Two is The Legend of Korra‘s most divisive season, the final face-off between giant spirit-Korra and Unavaatu — the “Dark Avatar” fusion of Unalaq and the dark spirit Vaatu — is an undeniable show of power. After losing her connection to her past lives, Korra is seemingly on her own. However, the Avatar is able to find the fragment of Raava that exists within Vaatu, allowing her to eventually purify Unavaatu, thus killing her uncle in the process.

2 Korra Fights Zaheer While Poisoned In Book 3

FIghting for life after Zaheer poisons her, Korra uses the Avatar state to break her shackles and go after Zaheer. The battle that ensues sees Korra delving into her most primal fighting instincts; she bends fire from her mouth and feet, and wields massive boulders as if they’re pebbles. Forced into a kind of “fight or flight” mentality, Korra manages to defeat the powerful, flying airbender — all while poisoned. Although she winds up in critical condition afterward, there’s no denying that the Book Three finale is one of Korra’s most impressive displays of power.

1 Korra Bends the Spirit Beam In The Book 4 Finale

In the Legend of Korra series’ ending, Kuvira and Korra’s fight culminates in the destruction of the colossus. Unfortunately, the mech’s spirit vine-powered cannon is knocked loose, causing it to shoot a massive energy beam at the surrounding city. When Kuvira ends up in harm’s way, Korra steps in to perform Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s iconic energybending. The original form of bending, the technique allowed Korra to restore others’ bending in the season-one finale. Here, it helps her save Republic City from a nuclear-level explosion, as she transmutes the energy into a brand-new Spirit World portal.

All four seasons of

The Legend of Korra

are now streaming on Netflix and Paramount+.

• The Legend of Korra

  Release Date:

  2012-04-14

  Seasons:

  4

  Genres:

  Animation

  Summary:

  This spinoff of Avatar: The Last Airbender follows the titular Korra, the new generation’s Avatar and reincarnation of Aang. As an Avatar, Korra can bend all four elements, and the show follows her adventure through the difficulties in a rapidly growing world.

  Writers:

  Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko

  Story By:

  Bryan Konietzko

  Streaming Service(s):

  Netflix, Paramount+

  Franchise(s):

  Avatar: The Last Airbender

  Directors:

  Joaquim Dos Santos

  Showrunner:

  Bryan Konietzko

  Creator(s):

  Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko

  Cast:

  Janet Varney, P.J. Byrne, David Faustino, J.K. Simmons, Jeff Bennett, Dee Bradley Baker, Seychelle Gabriel, Mindy Sterling

  Rating:

  TV-PG

  Main Genre:

  Animation